Half way through, what I want to happen.

I am half way through this book (I just finished the chapter where Uriah spends the night at David/Trotwood/Daisy's house. I can already see some of the coming themes and expect Steerforth to do something dishonorable in regards to Emily, and Uriah is obviously going to be a manilpulative little prig.

But here is one thing, I am not happy with the way things got left with the Murdstones. Don't tell me if they come back into it or not please. But if Miss Murdstone does not get trampled by a horse (or donkey), or have a house collapse on her, or spontaneously combust, or something I am going to be very dissapointed. (Same goes for Mr. Murdstone) Being treated roughly by Aunt Betsy is no were near enough of a punishment for those two.

I'm more concerned with David's soul at the halfway mark than with Steerforth, Uriah, or the Murdstones. David, with years of hindsight to aid him, says something at the beginning of Chapter 32 that caused me to lose a tremendous store of respect for him.

He knows what Steerforth has done to Em'ly, to her family, especially Ham, and to David's trust. And yet David--while admitting that their relations are over--is of two minds about this "villain"? As if David, gun in hand, having come upon Mr. Peggotty and Steerforth in a pitched life-or-death battle, would've been undecided about whom to shoot, whom to protect, or whether to shoot at all, but allow the "better man" to win.

Unless David hasn't expressed himself well--or unless David comes to his senses about Steerforth before he lays his pen down--he will fail to regain my respect. And by coming to his senses I mean David must reevaluate everything he thought he ever knew about Steerforth, must reevaluate every statement David thought was a joke, every abusive action that David thought an isolated event or out-of-character. David must realize Steerforth had never been the person David thought he was. All that glitters is not gold.